Shipments of malt-free beerlike beverages grew 4.6-fold in April compared with the same month the previous year, accounting for 19.4 percent of the total market, according to industry figures unveiled Monday.

Brisk demand for the new brews drove up total shipments of beer and beerlike beverages by 3.3 percent, marking the first growth in the market in four months, according to the breweries.

Sales of the cheap beer alternative were jolted last month by the entry of Japan's two largest breweries, Kirin Brewery Co. and Asahi Breweries Ltd., industry officials said.

April marked the first month in which all of the major breweries were competing in the new category.

Asahi, which released Shin-nama on April 20, said it shipped 2.7 million cases for the month, A case contains 20 633-ml bottles.

The new brews, often referred to as the "third beer" after low-malt "happoshu," enjoy lower liquor taxes because they don't contain malt, one of the main ingredients in beverages classified as beer. Kirin and Asahi use soy protein instead of malt.

Low-malt happoshu took the brunt of the newcomers' entry, with shipments for the month falling 21.6 percent from the previous year for the ninth consecutive month of decline.

Happoshu's share of the total market thus fell to 28.7 percent, compared with 37.8 percent a year earlier.

Shipments of beer also dropped, by 7.3 percent, from the same month a year earlier.

Despite the strong figures, however, industry officials said they are skeptical sales of the new beverage will maintain their momentum in the coming months.

They said sales last month were helped by consumer curiosity as well as aggressive marketing of the new products.